


Slipping slowly

by Lexie146



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, Bellatrix needs to burn in Hell, F/M, Mama Bear Narcissa, Mental Health Issues, More tags coming, Not Epilogue Compliant, Paranoia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Torture, The Cursed Child can also burn in Hell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25585561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexie146/pseuds/Lexie146
Summary: What does Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass soon to be Malfoy have in common? After 2 and a half years in Azkaban, Draco Malfoy is finally released. And it was happily ever after? Nope. Not even close.Draco’s mental state starts to cause concern for all involved. Why is Bellatrix still haunting Draco from beyond the grave?
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
Andromeda

Andromeda Tonks had never met her nephew prior or during the war. The things she heard about him didn’t cause her ill will towards the boy. From what she understood about her nephew was he was a spoiled brat for most of his life, and got forced to play with the big kids, as it were. The first time she’d laid eyes on Draco Malfoy was during the trials. When she laid eyes on the poor looking, haggard, emotionally dead eighteen year old boy nearly all but cuddled into his mother’s arms, she wanted to hate him, she wanted to hate both of them, but she couldn’t. Neither one of them had killed Ted, or Remus or Dora. But if she were honest, a small part of her did hate them, Narcissa still had her son, as well as her husband. She would never hear her daughter yell at her for using her given name, or she would never had another cup of coffee with her husband or hear their laughs, Teddy would never know his parents. 

Instead of thinking about the losses she suffered, Andromeda forced herself to sit through the trials of both her sister and her nephew. The trial lasted almost 3 months and it all led up to Narcissa getting house arrest and forfeiture of all of their assets excluding the house she currently resided in. Harry Potter saw to that fact, he testified in favor of Draco and Narcissa. Draco on the other hand did not get so lucky. He, received a minimum of four years in Azkaban for his part in the war. There was immediate outrage on both sides. Some argued that he was just a child and some argued that he deserved longer., Andromeda found herself conflicted. While yes, it could be argued that he acted under duress, he still made the choice to attempt murder. She did not know what atrocities he committed after his sixth year, she felt sorry for the boy. He never really stood a chance. Her pity deepened when she saw Draco go limp in his mother’s arms and she swore she heard sobbing coming from the skeleton of the boy as well as his mother. Watching the guards of Azkaban rip him out of his mother’s arms made her tear up. Narcissa’s face started channeling Bellatrix on her worst, Potter immediately standing behind her to holding her back, “He’ll be out soon, I promise you” Judging by the look on his face, Andromeda had no doubt that he would try. Draco ended up serving 2 and a half years before Harry was finally able to collect the 100,000 signatures needed for his release.

The time that Andromeda was actually face to face with her sister’s son was in Diagon Alley. It came soon after Draco’s release. She was with Harry Potter, as well as Hermione Granger. Teddy happily babbling away in her arms. Harry was talking about what ring he wanted to give Ginny as an engagement ring. Passing The Three Broomsticks, they heard a ruckus coming from in the bar. Blond hair flashed in front of her and landed hard on the ground and rushing after the blond was a brunette lady “Leave him alone, he didn’t do anything to you. What the fuck is wrong with you? He didn’t do anything.” The brunette screamed at a man retreating back into the bar, Harry was focused on the blond though. If it were even possible, he looked worse than he did at his release, his face covered in bruises and cuts, not to mention, he’d lost weight he couldn’t afford to lose in the first place. Harry kneeled down to help the frail, clearly embarrassed man up, “Come on.” The brunette had her hand on her wand in the event Harry made the wrong move, instead Draco grabbed Harry’s hand and pulled himself up, muttering a thank you. Glancing around, he locked eyes with Andromeda and immediately backed away, the terror completely evident on his face, “N-No y-you’re dead.” One look at the woman and He was right back in the manor, hearing her cackle and her baby-like voice. “Drakie-poo.” 

Andromeda looks at Harry and he looks as lost as she does. The next thing she knows is her youngest sister appeared, looking ready to eviscerate whoever hurt her son. “What happened?” That was one thing Andromeda had to hand to Narcissa. She loved her son with everything she has.

The brunette quickly gave a rundown of what happened in the bar. She told Narcissa that she gotten him out of the house for the first time since his release and everything was going well until they went into the pub for some drinks, that was when hell broke loose. A patron of the bar recognized Draco and proceeded to beating him, and due to his strict probation, he refused to hit back. 

Looking at her son’s stare she quickly turned to see what he was facing and sighed. “He thinks you’re Bellatrix. They used her against him in Azkaban.” She addressed Andromeda. There was a hatred and a sadness that was in her voice that Andromeda never heard before and she wasn’t sure who it was directed to. So many questions plagued Andromeda’s mind. 

Andromeda closed her eyes, and sighed, of course he though she was Bellatrix. They had never been introduced. Narcissa signed heavily, reaches out and placed her hand on his shoulder causing him to jump violently, his breathing quickly picking up “Draco listen to me, Bellatrix is dead, okay? This is my sister, Andromeda.Bella can’t hurt you anymore.” Andromeda felt like she should say something. She was in shock that Narcissa called her, sister. Instead of blood traitor. Hermione asked, “Mrs. Malfoy, what do you mean they used her against him? The Dementors aren’t in Azkaban.” Narcissa sighed. “You’re right, Miss Granger they aren’t. But there are other ways, instead of the dementors the guards thought it was a good idea to release boggerts, and let them run rampant.”

Harry spit out, “You’re saying they tortured him.” He was furious. Draco Malfoy was a piece of work back in school, no doubt, but sixth year and on, he’d become a literal ghost of the man he was. Andromeda was more concerned that Draco’s boggart was Bellatrix. 

Narcissa slightly nodded. “More or less. Astoria, would you mind taking him home, I’ll be there shortly.” Astoria immediately apparated with Draco in tow. Hermione nearly had a coronary. “He’s in no shape to apparate.” “Astoria’s had plenty of experience doing it with him, Miss Granger, I assure you. Thank you all for being respectful to him.”

Narcissa glanced at Andromeda and Teddy, “my condolences for your losses.” Perhaps it was the pure sincerity in Narcissa’s voice, that made her to it. “Cissa.” Andromeda stopped her from leaving. “Would you like to meet for a cup of tea? I think I can help Draco. I need to exactly what happened with Bella, and what they did to him in Azkaban.”

Narcissa looked at Andromeda and nodded, “I’d like that, the truth is I don’t even know everything and that terrifies me. Would tomorrow morning be okay with you? We do not live in the mansion any more, I’ll send you the address.” Andromeda nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that Narcissa left. Andromeda was in a state of shock. A.) Narcissa was actually respectful. As a child she always had a cut throat attitude. B.) The deteriorating mental state of her nephew had her the most concerned, he truly saw her as Bellatrix and thought she was a threat to him. 

All she could process is one question. 

What did Bellatrix do?


	2. Hate me

Chapter 2: Hate Me

Astoria remembers the night she realized she loved Draco, it was after Charity Burbage had been murdered. She’d received a message from the Malfoy Family elf basically summoning her to the manor. She didn’t know what to expect, she remembered telling Draco if he ever needed to talk to someone she’d be there no matter what. What she found when she walked past the dining room horrified her. There was dried blood on the table, and there he was sitting at the edge. “Draco-.” He jumped violently quickly looking in all directions, he looked like he was either trying not to cry, or scream. “Not here, come quickly.” So she followed him

Almost running to keep up with him into a hallway. Once the finally reached his room, he locked the door, and placed several silencing charms on the door and the room. “They can’t know you’re here.” He said in a rush his emotions were becoming very clear in his voice.. “Draco. What happened?” He shook his head. “Not yet. I need to be drunk for this.” He walks over to a table and grabs the firewhiskey off of it, walked back to her and sat down and took several large swigs. If the blood on his table didn't worry her, now she was terrified. She sat next to him, and waited until he finally decided to talk. When he did, his voice was so quiet she had to strain to hear him, “They killed Burbage. They tortured her slowly and then they killed her. For what?! I never took her class but she didn’t deserve that. Just like Dumbledore.” 

He never spoke about that night. “You know? He knew what I doing all year and he still tried save me.” Astoria spoke, “He did save you. He kept you from becoming a murderer.” 

“Their blood is on my hands, Stori. I just sat there. How does that not make me a murderer?”

“Look at me.” He took a gulp of fire whiskey and looked at her. “The fact you’re so torn up about all of this, means it’ll work out. Don’t lose that humanity.”

The moment they apperated back to their modest cottage, the gravity of the situation hit Draco like a train, and the pure embarrassment followed shortly after. “I jus- I’m sorry.” 

Astoria grabbed Draco’s face and forced him to look at her. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

“How isn’t it? I deserved every bit of it, what the hell was I thinking?”

Looking at himself in the mirror he hated the image looking back at him. He was a failure of a man and he knew it. Astoria came in the bathroom and he took a deep breath, “Maybe we should just call this whole thing off.” His voice cracking. 

Astoria felt her heart fall to her stomach. “What are you talking about?” 

“You saw what happened today, I can’t give you a life and you don’t deserve to be tied down. I’m just too messed up, Tori.”she shook her head and grabbed his face to make him look at her.

“You listen to me right now. You’re stuck with me. What happened today was horrific but you’re stuck with me, my love. There is something we need to talk about though.”

He closes his eyes. “If you’re talking about B-, her I just can’t right now.” 

“You can’t even say her name, you’re giving her the same amount of power that Voldemort had.” 

He looked at her, his gray eyes filling with tears. “I’m a coward. You should just save yourself the embarrassment.” After saying that, he went to lay in bed. 

She knew there was something that he never told her or Narcissa about Bellatrix. She just didn’t know what it was. He downright cowered when he met his other aunt and just like that the progress they had made with the last month was undone. He was back to pushing everyone away. She knew to be patient and these things take time, however it hurt her to see him like that again. She was on her way to becoming Draco’s wife, and that meant putting his broken pieces back together. The day he was released from Azkaban, he was more withdrawn as expected and could barely stand due to malnutrition, and dehydration, he jumped at his own shadow for goodness sake. Together Narcissa and herself bathed him, they watched at the crystal blue water turned brown from lack of showers. They saw the countless amounts of welts covering his body, both old and new.. Astoria spent nights whispering to him gentle calming things, when it became apparent the guards would keep him awake for countless days, she would remind him he was safe. In 4 weeks, they comforted him when he had nightmares that were so ferocious they caused him to run to the bathroom to empty his stomach. They were blessed to get a smile every once in a while, but he had a fear of leaving the house.

So Astoria supported her fiancée through his phobias, and when they had gone to Diagon Alley, it was actually his idea to test the waters and she couldn’t have been more proud of him, he started laughing a genuine laugh, and she felt her heart fly. That however changed when they went in The Three Broomsticks. Draco got attacked and it was over. 

Her own family couldn’t understand why she stood by to be a “broken man’s caretaker”. That infuriated Astoria. They couldn’t understand her choice to stick with him during the trial, or the fact she was engaged to him; that was the worst part to them.

When Narcissa returned, Astoria was in the kitchens d Narcissa noticed her eyes were watery. “What happened?” 

Astoria sniffled. “He’s back on I should leave him.” 

Narcissa sighed. “You know that he doesn’t mean it, right?”

Astoria nodded. “I just wish he’d talk to me. I love him so much.” 

Narcissa nodded,”I’ll talk to him.”

Narcissa knocked on the door to Draco’s room. He was sitting by the window. He looked at his mother and said quietly, “I forgot you had another sister.” 

Narcissa nodded, “a lot of people always compared how close Andromeda and Bella looked. Andromeda’s coming for tea in the morning, I’d appreciate it if you joined us. It gives you a chance to meet her properly..” 

He nodded, “I’ll try.” 

Narcissa took a look at her son, and knew something was bothering him. “I told Astoria that we should just call off the engagement.” 

Narcissa felt sick, of course she already knew it, but it still caused her pain. Astoria was good for Draco. She leveled him out, Lucius and her had a arranged marriage. Well she did grow to love him, it wasn’t the same as Draco and Astoria. She really connected with Draco, she was able to pull him out of his head, at the right moments. 

“Why would you do that? Honey it’s been a month since you were released, you’re healing.” Narcissa sighed, this wasn’t the first time that he tried setting her free.

“I’m going to hurt her, I’m not a good person mom. All I keep seeing is all the things that happened, I mean it feels like I’m right back at the manor or I’m in Azkaban, or B-she’s there, sometimes they kill both of you, other times I have to do it, or else they will drag it out. I just can’t tell if it’s real or not. I can’t hurt either of you.”

Narcissa sat next to her son, looking at his face, “Listen. Astoria is not going to leave you. And you will not hurt her. The next time you can’t tell if something is real or not, and I’m around say red. I’ll know you need to talk. Hey look at me.” He turns his head at his mother slowly smiling at her. “It will be alright. I need to know something?”

“What happened?” It’s a question she wants to ask, she needs to ask… but she can’t. Guilt begins to sink in, a mother is supposed to protect her child, to ensure nothing happens to him, at the ripe old age of sixteen, she stood by and watched her son become a pawn in someone else’s chess game, she’d failed incredibly. 

“Astoria said you stopped for a drink… I just wanted to know you didn’t have anything strong did you?”

He sighed, “I ordered a butter beer that’s it.”

His voice was begging her to believe him, and she did. The problem with Draco drinking strong beverages was that he didn’t know when to stop drinking. He would keep throwing them back until he’d wake up in a puddle of his own vomit, it started when he was given the task to kill Dumbledore.. consequently, when Draco started showing up to dinner so sloshed he couldn’t hold the fork right, it started to drive such a wedge between him and his father that Narcissa thinks will never be healed. When Lucius left, he wanted her to come with him, Narcissa turned him down saying she would not leave Draco when he needed her the most. Lucius couldn’t understand it, he felt betrayed. She’d followed him for so long and now she wasn’t. 

“Go talk to Astoria, honey. You love her as much as she loves you.”


	3. Coming Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco opens up to Harry

Draco comes clean  
(sort of)

You could never live out in the open  
Regretting every word you've spoken  
When you break it's too late for you to fall apart  
And the blame that you claim is all your own fault

When You Break- Bears den

Andromeda felt her hands shaking as she approached the door of her estranged sister’s house. She didn’t know what to expect, would it turn sour, and they lose contact of each other again?

“Hey Andromeda.” Harry came running behind her.

“What are you doing here?” 

“I’m not totally sure yet.” Spying the sleeping Teddy in her arms,” “that’s it I’m babysitting!

Andromeda smiled. “I don’t know how this is going to go. What was I thinking?!”

“You want to try to help your nephew whose going through a hard time.”

“I hate it when you’re right.” Harry knocked on the door before Andromeda could stop him. Narcissa approached the door and que the awkward silence that follows. “Come in.” Narcissa finally said. The halls and the living room were very basic with a few paintings here and there, In the living room, they sit down and Narcissa looked at Teddy. “Can I hold him?” Andromeda froze, “Of course you can.”

“He’s beautiful.” Narcissa said quietly. 

Astoria came out and sat in the opposite chair.   
“Is he coming?” Narcissa asked her gently.

Astoria replied, “He’s been out of it since last night. I don’t think he even went to sleep.”

Narcissa closed her eyes and sighed. Harry was quiet and then he asked, “Where is he? I want to talk to him and I think it might be better if there’s not an audience. No offense.”

Narcissa and Astoria looked at each other having a silent moment. “Right this way.” Astoria said gently. They start walking down another hall. Harry sighed, “Are you his wife?” Astoria shook her head, “Fiancé. We’re still planning the wedding.” “What’s he like on a bad day, anything like he was in school?”

Astoria stopped and looked at Harry. “Honestly, when it’s a bad day he just shuts off from everything, he just lays there. He doesn’t eat, doesn’t move. Most of the time, we can pull him out of it but I’ve tried and it’s not working today.”

“Yesterday caused it?”

Astoria nodded, “Mr. Potter, my fiancé is terrified of his own shadow right now. He got a message last night from his parole officer because somebody took pictures of him getting the day lights beaten out of him and now there’s talk about revoking his parole because he can’t “stay out of trouble”. I just know one thing, he won’t survive Azkaban again.”

Harry closed his eyes and sighed. “He didn’t lay a hand on that person did he?” Astoria shook her head. “He didn’t touch him, he just allowed himself to be a punching bag.”

“Has he told you anything at all about what happened in Azkaban?” 

“We don’t know everything that happened there. We know about the bogarts, and they barely fed, or allowed him to shower, they’d keep him awake for days non stop. When he was released he had welts all over his body, he won’t talk about it though. That’s another thing. You have to let him open up to you about that. I know you want help him, but if you mention prison or his psychotic aunt to him, you will lose him instantly.”

“I was there on the day he got released why didn’t I see the welts?”

“They were on his back and legs mostly, we only seen them when we got home.”

Harry sighed, “Has he seen a mind healer?” 

“We’ve tried to find him someone, it’s hard.”

“I’ll get him into seeing someone.”

Astoria smiled. “Thank you. He’s in the room across the hall.”

Harry sighed and knocked on the door, hearing nothing he opened the door. 

He turned to see if Astoria was still there and she wasn’t. He didn’t see Draco and he got worried. “Ma-Draco?”

He walked into the bathroom when he heard water running. The feeling of déjà vu comes across Harry as he heard the same cries that filled the air as he heard that bathroom in sixth year. 

He sat next to Draco, who nearly looked ready to bolt at any given second. “I come in peace I don’t even have my wand. I do have to say something okay? What happened?”

“They’re going to send me back” and “I’m already losing my mind” Those were the only bit of words that Harry was able to decipher from the rambling that poured out of his mouth. They sat like that for a while. 

“They won’t send you back. I promise.” 

A few more silent minutes went by and the next question came out, “Why are you losing your mind?”

“Why?” 

“Because I’m having major sixth year bathroom flashbacks and we know how that turned out, and I’m actually on speaking terms with you mother but I feel she’d turn me into owl pellets, if there’s another bathroom fight.”

Draco quietly laughed. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Why am I helping you?”

Draco nodded.

“I’ve hit bottom too. After the war, I just couldn’t deal with the guilt, all the death. I pushed everyone away and I said things I shouldn’t, I’m just saying I’ve been here and it sucks. You’ve got a whole support team out there and and Andromeda.”

Draco kind of tensed at Andromeda’s name. “She looks like her so much.”

Harry said “To be fair, I pulled a wand on her the first time I met her because she looks like her. But Andromeda’s eyes are kind and they’re warm. That woman will do anything for anyone. Give her a chance, just look at her eyes if you get too overwhelmed.”

“I need a drink.... don’t tell them about me saying that please.”

“Alcohol problem?”

“I destroyed my parent’s marriage and told everyone else to fuck off.”

Harry shrugged and sighed, “Like I said we’ve all been there. So I ask again, why are you losing your mind?” 

Draco doesn’t know what makes him say this next part. “She’s stuck in my head. Bell-.” A look of pain shot through his face. “ Nonstop, she’s always there. I see her like I’m looking at you and I’m scared and Astoria and my mother want to help but how do I tell them my dead aunt won’t leave me alone. It sounds crazy.”

Harry sighed, “when Voldemort, sorry, was alive, we were connected by my scar, granted he put a part of his soul in me. But maybe that’s what’s happening with you. Did she ever give you any scars?” Harry seriously doubted it but, he could tell Draco was close to possibly cracking. He seemed to hang onto Harry’s word as if they were a life vest.. 

Draco looked uncomfortable and started walking around. “Granger wasn’t the only one she ever held down.”

What the hell are you supposed to say to that? Harry said to himself. “Okay she held you down, what else?”

Draco swallowed a few times, his pacing speeding up, Harry was wondering how he hasn’t wore a hole in the floor yet.

“I remember she wore red robes, the edge of the sleeves were black that day. I don’t know what she did after she covered my head, I just remember begging her to stop or praying for my mother to come looking for me. The pain would put me to sleep but not even that would work, she likes her victims awake. She’d wake me up, and start all over again. When she went at it, she was just as ruthless as she was cruel.”

“How long did that happen ?”

“After Dumbledore’s death, she would give the excuse we had to work on occlumency lessons.”

Harry says gently, “And you never told your mother.”

Draco shook his head, “S-some of the stuff she did...”

“She would have died slowly if he had.”

Draco looked over Harry’s shoulder and looked visibly shaken. Harry turned and seen Narcissa and Andromeda standing in the doorway. “Mo-“ 

“Draco, I knew whatever happened was bad, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this bad. You should have told me.”

“There wasn’t anything you could have done.”

“Oh yes there was. I would have protected you. Wait. Did Severus know?”

Draco’s eyes brimming with tears, “No, he didn’t. He came close to because he went looking in the cellar for something I can’t remember but she heard the footsteps and healed me and just made it look like I was training hard. He-he could tell she was lying. He kept trying but I just sent him off.”

That part was the truth, Draco thought to himself. Severus Snape did go out of his way to find out what happened. After that specific day’s “lessons”, Severus noticed Draco had a limp to his step and pulled him aside and practically begged Draco to tell him what happened, Draco just quietly said he just fell during the lesson. 

“You know I do not believe that, Draco, do you know why?”

Draco shook his head and shielded his mind and forced himself to say as haughtily as possible. “I can’t help what you don’t believe.”

Severus sighed, “I thought that I’ve proven you could trust me. Do you want to know how I know you’re lying? Draco, look at me?”

Draco couldn’t do it. “That’s how. You cannot even look at me. I’ve taught you from the time you could walk, I knows you more than your parents do.” He looked at Draco’s leg and muttered a incantation very quietly and Draco nearly hit the ground, but his leg didn’t hurt.

Draco snapped out of his guilt filled memories with Snape and forced himself to look at his mother. Narcissa narrowed her eyes, “We’ll talk about this later. Now the reason we came back here was to get you to come eat something. So.” She gestured towards the doorway.

**Author's Note:**

> Ello lovies
> 
> This story will be an interesting one to write. Draco in this story will seem very out of character. What can I say? More of Draco’s story will come out with the following chapters. Let’s just say everything about The War messed him up. 
> 
> Please leave a review! If you think it’s shitty, or if you like it tell me! I haven’t written a story in a while, so I’m trying to get back into it. 
> 
> Smooches!


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